Location
Culzean Castle, Ayrshire
Date
2024
Type
Architectural – historic timber floors
Nature of work
Consolidation, cleaning, stabilisation and refinishing of historic timber floors
Role
Main contractor – conservator
Client
National Trust for Scotland
Context and aim
At Culzean Castle, we restored the historic timber floors of the State Bedroom and the adjacent rooms on the same floor. Years of use, later floor coverings and the adhesives used to fix them had left the boards stained, uneven and weakened, with movement in the subfloor beneath.
Our work began below the surface, consolidating the subflooring and levelling the boards. Old carpet glue was then removed and the timber chemically cleaned and stabilised. Finally, the floors were stained to match the original tone, refinished and waxed, bringing back the warmth and character of the historic boards while protecting them for continued use in one of the National Trust for Scotland’s most visited properties.
Gallery
Condition before treatment
Boards stained and weakened by later floor coverings and their adhesives.
Photo: old carpet adhesive covering the edge of the boards
Photo: window bay after carpet removal, with adhesive residue and stained boards
During the works
Consolidation, levelling, cleaning and stabilisation.
Photo: loose boards consolidated and refixed to the subfloor
Photo: historic floors during restoration
After restoration
Stained to match, refinished and waxed.
Photo: the same window bay after restoration
Photo: restored floor in the window bay overlooking the sea
Photo: refinished boards along the skirting
Photo: the room with its restored floor
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